Tag Archives: ryde

Meet the Ryde Instructors

Fitness, Training

Now that we are almost two months into the newest addition of cardio classes to Union Fitness, we thought it’d be nice to share a little more about the Ryde instructors over the next few weeks. Kayla, Vanessa, and Rachael are first up on this week’s introductions!

 

Kayla Hersperger

 

Hi! I’m Kayla! I’m primarily a yoga teacher but I’ve been teaching RYDE classes since this past summer. I absolutely love putting together my playlists and class plan each week and look forward to teaching on Friday mornings.

 

I started indoor cycling about four years ago at Urban Elements when Britt and Sharon encouraged me to venture outside the yoga room. I hopped around to various studios and then when the pandemic hit, I became obsessed with the peloton bike. Since buying my own, I’m pretty much riding every day between my own bike and the classes at Union Fitness.

 

In my class you can expect to ride to the beat of the music. I take extreme care creating my playlists that are often themed and always exciting. If you don’t have fun in my class, I haven’t done my job. My goal is to get your heart pumping and your face smiling. Basically, we have a party on the bike.

 

Vanessa Matthews

 

Vanessa went to school to be a chemical engineer, but left her career to pursue her passion of fitness full time.  She opened her own personal training business and has taught many different group fitness formats since 2010. In 2015 she was fitness director at a local gym, and won her first figure competition, all of which seemed like significant accomplishments, until her health began to fail in 2016.  When she had her first baby in 2018, health issues continued to spiral out of control.

 

Chronic pain forced her to change her entire philosophy and approach to health, which she believes is holistic, and more about food and mindset than it is about exercise. After a 4.5 year break from teaching, and now with a 1 and 4 year old, Vanessa is back with a new outlook on life.  In her classes, she takes her students on a mental journey as well as a physical one.  If you catch one of her classes, you will feel like you can take on the world!

 

Rachael Riddell

 

Rachael graduated from the University of Colorado Doctor of Pharmacy Program in 2014 and manages a team of Clinical Pharmacists in Pittsburgh. Shortly after finishing pharmacy school, she started teaching cycling, bootcamp, and barre fitness classes in Denver. Her love of all things fitness followed her back to Pittsburgh in 2018 where she has continued to teach around the city.

 

All of Rachael’s workouts (on and off the bike) are intended to challenge what you think you are capable of doing and leave you feeling accomplished. Look forward to a playlist to keep your body moving to the beat in every class.

 

You can catch Kayla, Vanessa, and Rachael early mornings during the week and also on the Saturday rotation!

Welcome to Ryde at Union Fitness!

Fitness

As you may have heard, our friends at Urban Elements and Cycology (UEC) will be closing their doors at the end of the year. But as one door closes, another one opens. We are excited to welcome them to the Union Fitness family! Starting New Year’s Day, we will begin offering Ryde and Ryde Fusion classes, taught by former UEC instructors.

 

For those of you I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, my name is Rachael and I have been coaching Cardiolab and Bootcamps for the past several years at Union Fitness. One of my passions is teaching cycling and I could not be more excited to bring two wonderful communities together.

 

What is Ryde? Why is It Different?

Real Ryder bike isn’t just a stationary bike, it’s movement is dynamic and adds another level to a cycle class. You can expect a Ryde or Ryde-Fusion class to be a full-body cardio experience with climbs, sprints, jumps, tabatas and more. Add music that makes you want to move and I am certain you will love Ryde just as much as I do.

 

Who’s It For? Do I Need Riding Experience?

Ryde is for anyone looking to add variety to their fitness routine. You do not need to have experience with indoor or outdoor cycling to enjoy a cycle class. Let your instructor know before class starts if you haven’t had experience with a Real Ryder Bike and any current or previous injuries. There may be some modifications that we recommend depending upon the situation. Regardless of your fitness level, a Ryde class is an excellent cycle-based fitness option to incorporate into your schedule (especially during winter in PA, let’s be honest).

 

What To Expect – Schedule & Components.

Our introductory schedule starts the first week of January with plans to add in the coming months. Mornings: Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:30 am 30 minute RYDE. This can be followed up with one of our 6 am offerings (Yoga, Powerful, or Cardiolab). Evenings: Tuesday and Thursdays at 5:30 pm 60 minute Fusion-RYDE. 30 minutes on the bike followed by 30 minutes of bootcamp. Weekends: 45 minute RYDE Saturday at 8:30 am and Sunday at 9 am.

 

Meet The Instructors.

Our UEC Ryde instructors are very excited to join the UF crew so keep an eye out on the schedule for them! Billy, Kayla and myself will be leading the morning classes and Mallory and Natalie will be teaching in the evening. Meagan will be every Sunday and we will have a rotating schedule for Saturdays. Everyone brings their own style of teaching to the bike and makes each class a different and challenging experience!

 

Sign Up Soon.

We can’t wait to join you on the bike so get yourself signed up on MindBody! Classes will be live 12/27. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or catch me before or after classes.